just some crazy ramblings about my love for family, friends and of course running!

Miles

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

A new beginning~

So, here I am day 1 of the rest of my life. I'm setting up this blog to track my progress and let whomever (or is it who ever) wants to, come along for the ride! My hope for this blog is help. I hope it helps me stay accountable to my training. Training for what you ask? The Chicago 1/2 marathon on June 4th, 2011.

First, a little bit about me. I'm Sue. Just Sue. Not Susan, Susie, honey, sweetie, darling. None of that. Some call me mom, or mommy, or even momma. Sometimes I'm even called bitch. I'm not upset with that name, because quite frankly, I am a bitch! I'm a believer in Christ, a mom, a wife, a daughter, a friend. and a runner.

I've never written a blog before. I had a hard enough time writing papers in high school. The thought of writing a blog in the past scared me! I have no idea how to write, I sometimes don't know how to spell, and puncuation??? forgetaboutit-I suck at puncuation!!!!!!!!!!! I love the exclamation point. I always overuse it. Maybe it's beacuse I'm always so happy and chipper and EXCITED! Maybe it's because I just don't know what else to use. I don't know. I do know I'm getting away from what this blog is about. running. running.....r u n n i n g. Like writing, I've never been good at running. In grammar school and high school, it took me 35 minutes to reach a mile. I hated running. I remember in 8th grade we had a track meet and I was supposed to run one whole track, allll the way around. No way. I slept in. My team kept calling me and calling me. Finally I got up and went. I ran. People cheered. I have never run so fast or so hard in my life. I thought I was going to die. We still lost that meet even tho I ran so fast and so hard. My body cramped and hurt and I was full of sweaty grossness. I swore to myself from that day on I would NEVER run again. And I didn't

I never ran again after that meet, until after the birth of my 3rd child. My sweet Allison. I looked at a picture of myself and thought, "OH my god, I am soooooooo fat!" I was disgusted! I could not believe how heavy I had gotten. I swore I was going to do something about it. My husband, Ken, and I joined the gym in March of 2007. At that time, it took me 20 minutes to complete a mile. Again, I thought I was going to die. I didn't. I kept going. By May of 2007 I was able to run, yes actually run, a half mile. I was so proud of myself! It took me 4 minutes and 27 seconds. The total length of Moby's "Lift me up" radio edit song. I was soooooo proud of myself. I said I can do this and was determeined to get to a mile by July.

May 6th 2007. Day before my 30th birthday. My dad, my brother my baby Allison (who had just turned 1) and I, went to a small little airport about 45 minutes away from the house. I put on a blue jumpsuit, jumped in a little propeller plane, strapped myself in front of an instructor and juuuuuuuuuummmmppppedddddddd! It was truly the greatest feeling in the world. floating, watching the earth. seeing my family waving at me. and then we landed. well, we crashed. I was smooshed between the earth and 220 pound man. We slid. I hurt. I cried. Ken was right. Something bad happened. I cried some more. The ambulance came. My dad said it was the biggest ambulance he had ever seen. I was loaded up. Transported to a hospital. Turns out I dislocated my hip. My right hip. I was sad. There would be no way I could get to my mile by July.

I recovered. I took it slow. My ortho doc, Doc. Lee said I could pick up running again, but to let my body tell me when to stop. By December, I was running again. I was able to finish that Moby song again. I was happy, again!

Fast forward to June 2008. My brother got married. I was running a whole 6 months by then. Still struggling to get to a mile tho. But I was running. 3 times a week. for 20 minutes at the gym. I had rock star legs! I was sooooo proud of my legs. I was still heavy, but I was able to wear a nice sexy little black dress to the wedding and not look like a whale (at least I thought so). After the wedding I continued to run and finally was able to reach a mile and a quarter-woooooo hoooooo!

Then WHAM! BFP. bfp. bf to the mother effing p. I was pregnant. How the heck that happened, to this day I still do not know. Well, I know how it happened, I just don't know how it happened. We were done having babies after Allison. Now here I am pregnant with #4. I've always wanted 4 and now I have them. Thank you God! running was put on hold yet again. I still hit the gym, did the stepper, walked and did a little running, but with my busted hip and a little being growing inside, it wasn't easy, or comfortable. I will say this. I was lean. I had a big belly, but I also had a great ass (cue Al Pacino, please). May 2009 my 3rd baby girl was born. My little Annelise finished off our family. As soon as she was 3 months old, we hit the gym. I started running. again. and again, it was hard. again, I thought I was going to die. I didn't.

Wow, took a minute to proof read.....this is getting long. Have I lost everyone already? Please don't leave. I promise to wrap this up-quickly.

I love my gym. We're members to Lifetime Fitness. I swear a person could live in this place. It has everything. I love it. love it love it love it. In April of 2010. Ken lost his job. We had to give up the gym. I was sad. again. How would I continue to run? Where would I go? What would I do? Ken suggested running outside. I looked at him like he was nuts. "Are you crazy?" I asked. Running outside is hard. hard, and people driving by can see you. I did not want to run outside, but I also didn't want to stay fat. So I started the C25K. Oh em geeee. I thought I was going to die. I didn't. I sucked it up, and kept going. I once got chased by a dog. I once wasn't watching my steps and stepped in a nice pile of horse shit. Highlight of my day that was, really. I once ran after a thunderstorm. It was the greatest run I had ever had. It was cool, misting, and God was putting on a great light show off in the distance for me. I ran 2.1 miles that night and felt freakin awesome.

Present day. February 8th, 2011. We're back in the gym cause Ken, the great guy that he is, got up and got himself a jobby job. I'm back to running. I even got a new pair of runners. I got the Asics Kayano 16s from DNA Athlectics in Crest Hill. I love them. They're pink. I love them, they cushion my feet. I love them because I ran 2 miles the other day and I didn't realize I had gone that far already. I love them because now I am commited to this running game. June 4th of this year is the Chicago 1/2 marathon. I'm training for this race. Right now as it stands I can run 3.1 miles in 35 minutes. Back in 8th grade, I woulda died. Today, I can do it and you know what? I can run 13.1 miles in June, too. You know why? Cause I suck it up and run!